Tales of the Shire is everything I wanted it to be | Hands-on preview
From reading The Lord of the Rings as a child to watching the incredible trilogy, I have always shared an affinity with the hobbits. Their love of food and finding the simple joys in life to their passion for those they hold dear and their unwavering loyalty to friends and family, I often felt at home while adventuring with Frodo, Sam, Pippen, and Merry. Tales of the Shire takes those core concepts of a hobbit’s personality and puts it into a game that allows you to finally feel like a part of something that instantly cleanses the soul.
After creating your own hobbit and giving it a name, you’ll encounter a rather famous wizard. Once you’ve chatted to him, it’s time to become an owner to your own house in Bywater. It’s clear from the very start just what type of game Tales of the Shire is, and it makes no qualms about wearing its simplicity on its sleeve. You’re there to rebuild a house into a home, but you’re also there to enjoy the simple life by enjoying the sunny meadows and friendly companionship of the townsfolk.
While I haven’t played a lot of it, the preview gave me a good idea of what to expect when I eventually dive in around release day next year. The opening tutorial missions gave me a fishing rod so that I could catch a variety of different fish all over Hobbiton, giving me the option to take them away with me or release them back into the wild. I was able to plant my own taters in my garden, watering them to watch them flourish as the days pass by. These tasks are all easy to do, and while it doesn’t challenge the player, it gives you a chance to soak in the environment.
The gorgeous sun beats down on Bywater, and the lush fields and flowers illuminate your surroundings. Like reading the opening chapters in The Fellowship of the Ring, you get a sense of how nature is so important and integral to the life of a hobbit. I met a range of different people, be it at The Green Dragon pub or old man Noakes by the riverside. Whoever you chat to, each NPC has a distinct personality that gives you a wonderful idea of how exciting your life among the hobbits is going to be.
Building fellowships with other hobbits is important to Tales of the Shire, and the best way to do so is by cooking luxurious and hearty meals at your home. You can gather or purchase ingredients, and acquire a range of recipes from plenty of different places, and making meals as scrummy as possible will help you to make friends and maintain those relationships as best you can. Doing so is once again, a relatively easy task, preparing the ingredients then dumping them in a pot, but it’s how you prepare the table and sit down with friends that gives it a personal touch.
The Shire seems like a big place, and already of found some gorgeous locations. While the camera angles can be a bit awkward and finding waypoints need improvement, the sense of wonder and exploration is great. I spent a lot of time wandering off the beaten path to see a countryside filled with beauty, and I cannot wait to really build a life in Bywater, celebrating second breakfast and throwing parties for all of my friends.
Tales of the Shire strips back a lot of the frustrating mechanics and laborious tasks of other life sims to focus on finding happiness in simple pleasures. Diving into your life with the hobbits gives you such a relaxing time, and thankfully the frustrations at present are minimal. There’s plenty of time to iron out the minor issues at present, and if it continues to be elaborated on until release, there’s going to be a lot here for fans of the genre and of The Lord of the Rings to enjoy.
Tales of the Shire: A Lord of the Rings Game is coming to PC, PS5, Xbox Series S|X, and Switch on March 25, 2025.
